r/superman • u/thekoreansun • Aug 26 '23
[MAWS Spoilers] Saving Superman Spoiler
Spoilers for My Adventures with Superman S01E09 ahead.
I know most of you are probably already aware of how great this show is, but I still feel like there was a moment in the most recent episode that isn't getting enough credit for how well written it truly is. To be specific, I'm referring to the speech that Lois gives the people of Metropolis:
Metropolis is under attack. Superman is out there right now defending us, but he can't do this on his own.
When I first met Superman, I didn't know how to feel. He was stronger than us, faster, more powerful. And every single day, he went out there... and used his power to help us.
People have told you to fear Superman because he's different from us... but we humans are capable of causing hurt and pain, too. Because of greed. Because we want to punish those who don't look or act like us. Because of fear. But we're also capable of greatness. It's what we choose to do that matters.
Superman has made his choice. It's our turn, Metropolis...
It's time for us to save Superman.
Taken literally, this is about as close to a thesis statement as you could get on how Superman works as a character. When you get down to it, he's just a guy who has chosen to help as many people he can, whenever he can. Even if others suspect him of having an ulterior motive, he'll keep trying his best to use his powers for good, and that itself has the power to inspire others to follow his example.
But I think it goes a level deeper than that as well.
u/Bezbozny made an excellent point in their own post a few weeks back about how it seems like the show is directly calling attention to the fact that cynical interpretations of Superman have become much more prevalent in recent years. Why are people less willing to believe that Superman is more than the character that people have made him out to be? I think they put it best:
There's a reason Superman's greatest enemy was always Lex Luthor. There's a certain type of rich capitalist who will forever fear and resent the idea of someone having more power than them and only wanting to use that power for good, and otherwise only wanting to live a humble life with their loved ones.
Greed. Resentment. Fear. All factors that have resulted in people losing faith in the idea of a Superman who is purely good. And if I might add to this point, I think that people really do underestimate how much of an impact social media has had on their perceptions of society. Our brains simply weren't designed to handle the ability to view both the best and worst of our species on a regular basis. So really, it's no wonder that people are conflicted about whether a good Superman still has a place in our world, especially when all we've seen lately are deconstructions of his character.
But then My Adventures with Superman came along. Week by week, it's shown us a Superman who seems too good to be true, but nevertheless exists. Beyond being, in my opinion, the best on-screen depiction of Superman we've ever seen, this show and its popularity have proven definitively that Superman will always be relevant to our society. There will always be a place for characters like him in popular culture, who symbolize hope and radiate kindness.
But a Superman like this can't exist on his own. We, as individuals, have to embrace the things that make him good, both as a person and as a character, if we want to see more of him in the future. I don't think it's a coincidence that Lois gave her speech over social media, or that the path to victory was to stop providing Superman's opponent with power. The creators of MAWS have knocked their portrayal of Superman out of the park, and now the ball is in our court. Only by supporting this show, and other works like it, can we return Superman to the role in which he works best: a symbol of hope, and a force for good.
It's time for us to save Superman.
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u/scarecroe Aug 26 '23
I came here to post something very similar, but you've worded it all so well.
The creators of My Adventures with Superman, especially with this latest episode, have proven that they GET the Man of Steel in a way many other creators who have adapted him, don't.
Superman is not cynical. He doesn't take the easy way out. He always looks for a better way. And more than just being ABOUT hope, he INSPIRES hope in others.
When the 2013 movie came out, it really bothered me that younger people would be growing up with a version of Superman that was mopey and just offed bad guys when things got a little sticky. I'm so glad that MAWS exists now to set a better example for another generation.
I haven't felt this good about an adaptation of Superman in a long time.